Four Words
by Alicy-sunberg
Summary: The meeting of Sariatu, daughter of the Moon King, and Hanzo, leader of the Beetle Clan. Enemies by nature that became soul-mates against all odds... Although it didn't happen in a very peaceful manner...


**This is my take on the meeting of Kubo's parents! I found the scene of the telling of this meeting in the movie really beautiful, but I wanted to picture more precisely how it came to those four words we are so fond of. I hope I did the characters justice. Please excuse my mistakes if there is any in the text, English is not my mother tongue, and I have no beta reader to proof read it. ^^"**

 **Enjoy this story nonetheless. I hope it is to your liking!**

 **Cover picture is a courtesy from Fairy-In-Wonderland (find her tumblr here!** **)**

 **Laika studios own the characters of the movie Kubo and the Two Strings.**

oOo

Hanzo arrived at the Temple of Bones. A dreadful place, really. It seemed that the Unbreakable Sword would be resting here.  
Well..."should" probably fit better... The travel to this place was terribly tiresome. He was just so desperate to finally find some real clue for his quest that he was about to believe anything that could lead him closer to the Magical Armor.

"How preposterous and foolish."

A voice. Coming from above him. Full of wrath and disdain. While turning around, he dropped his travel bag on the floor. He kept his stance passive, but his senses were fully awake, ready to react at anytime.  
He looked up.

A dark and slender figure floated in the air, wrapped in a cloak of feathers, a pale face hidden under a large hat. Red lips formed a cold smile under the shadow enveloping her head.

"You ignorant fool think you can defy the Heavens and still live? The mortals bear so much arrogance it's laughable", commented the strange woman with contempt.

"Lady", answered Hanzo while smiling, "I'm afraid I don't share your sentiment, but hey, whatever floats your boat..."

"I have no need for a boat, mortal", she hissed. "I am Sariatu, daughter of the Moon King. Who are you to dare fighting against my father's will?"

"Geez, you people ever heard about humor?" he muttered, shaking his head. Then he responded with his best warrior voice : "I am Hanzo, humble samurai of the Beetle Clan... But I guess you already knew that, didn't you..."

The moon lady scoffed. And suddenly he was intrigued.

"You're here to kill me then?" he merely stated. "Fair enough. But I'd be glad to see my executioner's face, before I die. THAT would be fair, wouldn't it? Since you already know what I look like and I don't know what you look like...Unless... That's your real face? Gods, that looks uncomfortable..."

"Enough!" She sounded exasperated. Good news! "You are not worthy of bearing your mortal eyes on my face, human," she rumbled.

"And yet you grace this simple man with your presence, Moon Princess Sariatu. I believe I deserve that much?"

The ominous silence was his answer for a long moment until she took off her mask and her hat, and let them float down slowly on the ground. And while the moon light rested its watchful gaze on her, Hanzo could see her pale face, clear eyes glaring at him under heavy eyelashes, full pale lips and silky black hair flowing in the air. He smiled in awe.

"Well... I guess I can't complain", he shrugged. "My executioner is the most beautiful woman I ever laid my eyes upon."

She looked startled but switched back to her cold state in a second. Slowly she unsheathed her sword and raised it in the sky with her two hands, offering its blade to the moonlight.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, mortal. You have offended my father. Now you must die."

She flew at him, sword cutting the air towards his head, but he didn't move an inch and his movement was so fast she couldn't even see it. His sword was not even fully unsheathed when he countered her strike. Then with a swift move of his arm, his blade entered her guard and she would have been injured if she did not retreat in the air at the last moment.

His easy-going personality tricked her and she underestimated him. Perhaps she should wait for her sisters to come down and fight him with them... But her eyes laid on the mask on the ground.

No. She would finish this and put back her full attire even before her sisters arrived. And they will only see his blood on her blade.

She looked back at him. He wore a cocky smile, his saber laying on his shoulder in a nonchalant manner.

"You look surprised, Sariatu", he called up to her.

Such familiarity! How dare he. Never in her life did she meet with such an infuriating mortal!

She realized anger was gaining her spirit. How pathetic... This mortal could not be allowed to influence her in such way. She let the cold wind of her realm, the emptiness, calm her mind. She was back to her senses.

"And here I thought you accepted your fate..." she lamented in a voice as cold as void itself.

"That, dear woman, was never my point", he said, chilling under such icy tone. "I never said I would not fight back!"

"Semantics... How quaint! Although it matters not. None of this will be of any use to you, now. The result will always be the same."

"I beg to differ." he answered with that cockiness of his.

She attacked again and their swords clashed.

At first, Hanzo let her strike, parading and deviating, dodging and jumping, while keeping his smile up, he examined her pattern.

What wicked technique, he awed internally. Precise, lethal, economic on movements and footsteps (if you could call that floating "footsteps"), nothing was useless. It was both direct and tricky. She knew exactly what she was doing. And she didn't seem to break a sweat after so many powerful and methodical strikes.

He didn't remember fighting someone so strong before. It was frightening but oh so exhilarating! His smile widened with enthusiasm as one of her hits grazed his shoulder, ignoring the red armor he was wearing. He decided to counterattack. He retaliated with a strike to the leg, while rolling aside. When he got back up, his sword countered almost immediately another hit toward his head. Taking his sword with both hands, he stroke down his sword, aiming at her hands. She paraded easily. He then advanced into her guard and aimed forward at her throat. She hurriedly countered, but his foot crashed on her breastplate and sent her flying in a nearby wall, with a strength she never would've suspected from a mere human...

While she recovered from the hit, he jumped up, sword above his head. As he fell back on her, his blade met hers in such a powerful way that a cloud of dust formed around them with a violent shock wave.

She pushed him back with her foot and she was back in the airs again, her cloak dirty, and her impeccable breastplate full of scratches.

"Lost pieces of your wings, Sariatu?" he pointed at the feathers that were falling out of her cloak. "Not so neat anymore, are we?"

She snorted at his armor grazed from everywhere. "You're one to talk."

And the fight began again. The violence of their strikes shook the floor and the trees around them. Where she flew, he was right behind her, where he landed, her blade met immediately his. It was a deadly dance that lasted for hours, and the dawn was not far now. Each one loosing more armor as the fight went on, gaining more wounds from the other...

And while Sariatu was filled with incredulity and rage at this human she couldn't manage to kill, Hanzo forgot the very reason why he was here int the first place, as he was too excited by this adversary.

 _Amazing_ , he thought, _how could someone be so amazing?_

Her powers granted her the advantages of flying but he was pretty sure that the fight would be the same if she was staying on the ground.

Her face looked focused and calm, but her eyes were burning with sheer determination and rage. A part of his heart jumped at the thought of him being the target of such powerful emotions in her.

 _Hey now, Hanzo_ , he laughed in his mind. _Are you telling me you're falling for her? The very person that came down from the Heavens to kill you?_

He jumped back, and considered his state. His blade had many scratches  
It looked more like a saw than a sword. There was only his breastplate left of his red armor. The bun that held his hair up was undone, and his long hair fell down on his wounded shoulders. Blood was covering his body, both his and hers. He was out of breath. But still smiling.

Then he looked up at her, panting with effort, her cloak gone. She was standing on the ground. Her trousers had slice wholes everywhere, her breastplate was also in a sorry state. Her silky hair was now a mess, locks falling on her beautiful scarred face. And her clear eyes burning towards him, glowing in the darkness... Her silhouette straightened up again, sword raising in her hands. She was ready for another showdown. She was gorgeous...

And right now, he could answer his own question :

 _Oh yes_.

He saw her again, and wanted to know more about her, even though she was the enemy. His heart was extending towards her... Who was she? What did she like? What did she hate? What made her cringe? What made her laugh? Gods, what was her laugh like? What was her smile like? Would she like to have dinner with him? To go into town with him? Have fun with him? Spar with him? Damn, gods knew he would love the sparring...

And before he knew it, as she attacked again, she was everywhere in his mind, his imagination working at full speed. He barely managed to counter her strikes, partly because he was not focused but mainly because he didn't know what to do anymore...

"You have no chance of winning," she rumbled. And Hanzo felt that those words were trying to convince herself more than himself. "What point do you have to fight like you do ? Do you think you can get the Armor and hope to save your kind from my father's wrath? What is there to save here anyway?!"

"Are you trying to convince me? Or yourself?" he simply answered.

She startled. He took the occasion to send her a powerful strike and she slid further away from him.

"What do you mean?!" she hissed.

"I don't know, Sariatu, he shrugged. You seem more talkative now... Is there something on your mind?"

His smile was arrogant. He was so pleased with himself. That wouldn't do at all.

"How strange", she replied. "I thought you were quite silent, those last moments..."

He barked a laughter, and she found that intriguing, that sound in his mouth.

"Hey look, you did humor!"

Then he sighed and looked at her with strange eyes :

"You have no idea, do you?"

His tone was soft. Why was it so soft? She didn't like it one bit!

"There's plenty to save here", he told her, deciding to answer her questions. "You just have to look."

"Humph."

She rose again from the ground. Raising both her arms, her blade supple in her hand.

"Nevermind, you're quest is pointless."

"Far from it," he replied. "I know you're confused."

"Far from it!"

She attacked again. His sword welcomed hers again, like an old friend. But this time he took her wrist in his hand and pulled her closer to him. She was so baffled by this she didn't react.

He put his mouth against her ear and whispered four words.

Four words that changed everything.

She was speechless. But then she pushed him back, floating back in the air. Her sword hanging down her arm, as if she didn't care about it anymore...

"What... What do you mean I am your quest?!" she blabbered. "It doesn't make any sense! I am not your quest! We just met!"

She sounded terribly lost, there was no aggressiveness in her voice, just pure confusion... He looked at her and felt his heart throb. He was often the one that needed an explanation. But this time letting him do the explaining part? That was gonna be tough... Or not.

He let go of his sword and looked up at her.

"Yes you are."

"That's impossible. How can I be your... quest... I..."

Her voice wavered and she looked panicked. That sight was even more beautiful than the first time he laid his eyes on her. For she never looked more human than now. His master used to tell him that there was no better way to know someone than to fight against that person. How he understood those words now.

"Sariatu." he called her name softly.

She never heard her name in such a sweet way... She looked up at him and he extended his hand towards her.

"Come. I'll tell you."

His voice... His eyes... His smile... What was wrong with her? Shouldn't she slice him to pieces right this instant? Shouldn't she...

She lost herself in his gaze, and suddenly, her mind was at peace.

She took his hand, and he slowly brought her to the ground, just in front of him. He took her sword from her grip, and planted it next to his. She was a bit smaller than he was. But she didn't care about that. Her curious eyes looked up to his. She wanted answers. He would be happy to oblige.

Hanzo took her through the forest as he slowly explained his feelings during their fight.

"And so. I was thinking...", he concluded.

He let go of her hand as they arrived on the slope of a hill, full of grass. He let himself fall, on the floor and took a deep breath. He smiled at her and tapped the space next to him, inviting her to sit with him.

She sat on her knees gracefully, her back straight, and that simple movement made him sway. How could she still be so graceful after the brawl they just had?! She was incredible.

"You're staring", she simply stated. "What we're you thinking about?"

"Haha, my bad. So... I was thinking, I could show you, you know? What's worth saving in this world. And I could show you..."

He sat up and took her fingers between his.

"... why I consider you my quest... How does that sound?"

She looked at him, and a part of her seemed to understand.

"That sounds...", she slowly replied. "Interesting. I think... I would like that."

Hanzo noticed her blush and that was the most gorgeous thing he've seen in his life. Then again, he thought that a lot during this night.

He brought her hand to his lips.

"So are you agreeing to stay with me for now, Sariatu?"

"I do..."

She had a solemn face. But quickly followed by a faint, genuine and endearing smile.

"...Hanzo."

The sound of his name in her mouth pronounced in such a way made him so happy he laughed. He fell on his back and looked at the stars that were slowly fading, leaving their places to the warm colors of the day to come.

"Aaaaaah", he sighed. "I'm dead..."

"Why, of course." she replied with a satisfied smile. "I'm your executioner after all."

He laughed again. She was a fast learner!

He took her hand in his again and looked at her.

"No. You're more than that..."

 _The end_

 **I hope you liked it! If you did, feel free to leave a review, if not do it anyway! I love criticism! XD**


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